International Social Work Organizations
There are several social work associations worldwide. Their common goal and objectives are to relieve suffering and improve the lives of those less fortunate. Whether it is to relieve hunger, improve health, squash out poverty or educate individuals on different issues, the social worker does have a worldwide force working towards social justice. Below is a list of some of those organizations even though most of them refers to themselves as associations. Singapore Association of Social Workers Singapore Association of Social Workers was established in 1971. This association represents social workers residing and working in Singapore and assists in the implementation of a range of activities and services geared towards improving professionalism of social work. The objective of this association is to • Advance social work as a profession and foster a high standard of social work in the country • Participate in activities which promote social work and social welfare on national and international level • Participate in and provide community and social services to the public Promote the well-being of social workers Membership: To become a member of this association individual must be dedicated to making a difference in the issues and topics that the association focuses on. Retrieved from www.sasw.org.sg Japanese Association of Social Workers Japanese Association of Social Workers (JASW) is an organization of social welfare professionals consisting of a wide range of stakeholders. Irish Association of Social Workers Irish Association of Social Workers (IASW) was founded in 1971. This is the national organization of professional social workers in the Republic of Ireland. The IASW is a member of the International Federation of Social Workers. Objectives • Ensuring the sustainable development of IASW, as the professional body supporting and representing the social work profession in the Republic of Ireland • Improve standards and quality of professional social work practice • Increase access to information and support for social workers • Enhancing the public profile and perception of social work • Using social work expertise to influence the development of local, national and international policy and practice • Facilitating social workers to meet the continuing professional development (CPD) requirements of registration Retrieved from www.iasw.ie Nova Scotia Association of Social Workers The mission of the Nova Scotia Association of Social Workers is to protect the public interest and promote excellence in social work practice. The Nova Scotia Association was established in 1943 by Dr. Fred MacKinnon who stated that this association was formed because he wanted to develop a group of people with a commitment to making social work a viable and acceptable profession in Nova Scotia. Retrieved from www.nsasw.org Hong Kong Social Workers Association The objective of the Hong Kong Social Workers is to “Foster a high standard of professional practice and ethics of social work in Hong Kong and to show concern on matters related to the profession, welfare issues and policies.” Retrieved from www.hkswa.org.hk Danish Association of Social Workers Danish Association of Social Workers was formed in 1938 and now serves as a trade union. Retrieved from www.epsu.org/a/182 Canadian Association of Social Workers There are nine provinces and one territory that make up the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) which serves to provide leadership role in strengthening and advancing the social work profession in Canada. It was founded in 1926 to oversee employment conditions and to establish standards of practice. Mission The Canadian Association of Social Workers mission is to promote the profession of social work in Canada and advance social justice. Retrieved from www.casw-acts.ca National Association of Social Workers The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world, with 132,000 members. This association works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members to create and maintain professional standards and to advance sound social policies. Retrieved from www.naswdc.org International Federation of Social Workers International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) has a membership of 116 countries. The focus of IFSW is to promote social work to achieve social development, advocate for social justice globally and facilitate international cooperation. It is “striving for social justice, human rights and social development through the promotion of social work, best practice models and the facilitation of international cooperation.” Retrieved from ifsw.org International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) The IASSW is a group of social work schools worldwide who work at having programs delivered to social work students which embrace the common goal of social justice to all. The definition of social work as seen by IASSW is that “The social work profession promotes social change, problem-solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilizing theories of human behavior and social systems, social work intervene at the point where people interact with their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work.” Retrieved from www.iassw.org Other Global Organizations Dedicated to Social Welfare and Social Justice International Council on Social Welfare International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW) was established in 1938. There are more than 70 countries worldwide who are members of this council. Members of this council are community organizations that work with individuals who are in poverty, who are experiencing hardship or displacement and who are unemployed. Service is provided to individuals regardless of age or family size. Mission The mission of ICSW is to “Promote forms of social economic development which aim to reduce poverty, hardship and vulnerability throughout the world, especially amongst disadvantaged people.” Retrieved from icsw.org International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD) The International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD) is made up of scholars, students and practitioners with a human services background who endeavors to improve economic and social conditions in various parts of the world by building on community strengths, distribution of economic resources, encouraging peace and fighting discrimination. This consortium serves as a “Clearing house for information on international social development.” Retrieved from www.socialdevelopment..net International Nongovernmental Organizations International Nongovernmental Organizations or INGO’s as they are often called are as the name implies, organizations that work across the world to improve the social conditions of individuals. Women for Women International: Bring women together in their own village or town to bring about social change. This organization which was started in 1993 has helped women to use their skills to step from “poverty to economic-self-sufficiency.” International Red Cross: This organization is generally seen in action when disaster strikes. Their goal is to “alleviate human suffering and promote public health and civil rights, (Barker, 2003, p 362).” World Education: World Education works to provide training across the world in over 50 countries Asia, Africa, Latin America and the United States. Training is provided in a non- formal setting. Amnesty International (AI): Amnesty International offers services world-wide. Their goal is to work to alleviate instances of violence against women, abolish the death penalty and defend those who live in poverty. Social Work and Cross-Cultural Values in Global Perspective Even though social work is practiced worldwide, there are different guidelines as to how those services are provided. Meeting the basic needs of individuals is the key to meeting those needs. If a person considers a pallet on the floor as their bed the social worker should not consider that as inadequate but see it as meeting the individual’s needs. Cultural sensitivity is important when addressing social justice. “The way we are born, live and die is affected by the culture in which we belong, so to take away our cultural heritage is to deny our identity. At the same time we can all benefit from our experience of other cultures and we have something to offer them in return (Ife, 2009).” What you can do on the behalf of global social justice There are so many instances where the rights of human beings have been trampled upon because their voices have been silenced because of injustice. To be a voice for the under privileged social workers can make a concerted effort to work on the behalf of the less fortunate. By voting for politicians (Verschelden, 1993) who align with others to eliminate injustice this could be the first step in working for the less fortunate. Social workers should never cease to learn more about international issues (Verschelden, 1993) and seek the input of politicians for ways in which those issues must be addressed. If the social worker feels that his or her voice is not heard then he or she can become a politician (Shaefor& Horejsi, 2009) him/herself so that those pressing needs can brought to the attention of public and resolve or reduce the social injustice. Working with like-minded individuals in the form of “organizations” can help to bring about the winds of change. A social worker giving of his or her time (volunteering) to a cause that he or she is drawn to can bring about the change that he or she would like to see happen. A social worker can bring about change by working with organizations in the community that aims at improving the lives of others. References: Verschelden, C. (1993); Social Work Values and Pacifism Retrieved from eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ482968 BACK TO HOME PAGE